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The enigma of Edward FitzGerald

The enigma of Edward FitzGerald. J.L. Borges.
In: Other inquisitions, 1937-1952. London : Souvenir Press, 1973. ISBN: 0-285-64711-3

Borges ponders on the mysterious connection between Khayyám and FitzGerald. A miracle that happened: from the fortuitous conjunction of a Persian astronomer who condescends to write poetry, and an eccentric Englishman who peruses Oriental and Hispanic books, emerges a poet who does not resemble either of them. He suggests a deep-seated, a-Platonic connection between philosophy, mathematics, and poetry.

The Fame of Omar Khayyam

The Fame of Omar Khayyam. Abd al-Haqq Fádil.
The Muslim World, 50 (1960) 4, pp. 259-268

Omar Khayyam’s popularity has two phases. In his life he was tremendously famous for his copious learning; after his death he became celebrated for his brilliant Rubáiyyát. In both he was unique and matchless. But he did not enjoy his fame completely either in life or in death. It is time now for us to grant him his due in full as a man of learning and as a poet.

Omar and the new era

Omar and the new era. Achtenhagen, Olga. The English Journal, 16 (1927) 8 (October), pp. 598–602

Students reflecting on reading and thinking about the Rubáiyát.

Omar Khayyám : Some Facts and Fallacies

Omar Khayyám : Some Facts and Fallacies by Reynold A. Nicholson.
In: Aberdeen University Review. Nr. 2 (1914), Feb., p. 138-142

Since FitzGerald introduced him to Europe, Omar Khayyám has enjoyed a world-wide reputation exceeding that of all the rest of the Persian poets together. Does he deserve it? What was his character and philosophy? Was he a materialist or a mystic, or neither? How far is the English version an original poem, and can we fairly use it as a key to the riddle? These are some of the questions that I am going to discuss and in part, I hope, to answer.

Schopenhauer and Omar Khayyam

Schopenhauer and Omar Khayyam. Phelps, William Lyon. The New England and Yale Review, 49 (1888) 224 (November), p. 328–336.